Lyles remains in rotation as Astros demote Fulchino

In the end, the largest takeaway from a complicated dance of a roster move that in no way involves Jordan Lyles is that Lyles is now an Astros starting pitcher — no interim or fill-in designation needed.

When Wandy Rodriguez returns from the disabled list today, the Astros will move Aneury Rodriguez to the bullpen and option Jeff Fulchino to Class AAA Oklahoma City to make room on the roster. So the 20-year-old Lyles will remain in the rotation and start Thursday’s homestand finale against Pittsburgh.

“If they told me I was going somewhere else, I would get my stuff ready and get ready for my next start no matter where it was,” Lyles said.

No need, after a gem of a debut at Wrigley Field, a clunker of a sequel in San Diego and a nice bounceback Saturday, when Lyles went 6 1⁄3 innings and allowed two runs to the Braves.

In moving Aneury Rodriguez back to the bullpen, the Astros are pulling the plug, at least for now, eight starts into his career. The Rule 5 pick could not have been optioned, so they will send him back to the bullpen, where he made nine appearances before going 0-4 with a 5.80 ERA as a starter.

As for Fulchino, who has walked 16 (three intentionally) in 272⁄3 innings and compiled a 4.88 ERA, the move is about regaining command. The big righthander has allowed opponents a .388 on-base percentage and a .500 slugging percentage while posting a 6.75 ERA in his last 18 outings after a 1.74 mark in his first 12.

“Fulchie’s got the stuff, and he’s had some success here the last couple years,” manager Brad Mills said. “We wanted him to go down and work on command of his pitches and being able to throw the ball over the strike zone with consistency.”

Wandy Rodriguez will be watched to some degree when he makes his first major league start in 22 days today, facing Atlanta’s Derek Lowe.

“I don’t think it’s going to be much of a pitch count,” Mills said. “I don’t think it’s going to be 122 or something, but I don’t see it being less than 100.”

Also, catcher J.R. Towles is expected to return today from an assortment of minor injuries that prompted Mills to give him back-to-back days off.